Came across this information in a tea catalog I get. I thought it was worth knowing that there’s an easy way to remove a lot of the caffeine from any tea without impacting the flavor. I plan on giving it a try. Not today, maybe, because today I need that caffeine, but … sometime.

Teas and Caffeine

All real teas are made from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, a caffeine-producing bush. On average, a cup of tea has 40-50 mg of caffeine (more than half the amount in a cup of coffee).

Caffeine content is not related to the level of fermentation (white, green, oolong, or black) but is instead more closely aligned to the type of leaf used. Teas with a high concentration of tips will contain more caffeine.

Caffeine is highly water soluble, and nearly 80% is extracted from the leaves in the first 20-30 seconds of steeping. If you wish to “decaffeinate” your own tea, the process is simple. Pour boiling water over the tea leaves, and allow to steep for a maximum of thirty seconds. Discard this water and pour fresh boiling water over the rinsed leaves. Brew for the desired length of time.

– Upton Tea Quarterly, summer 2008

.
Photo: istockphoto